CITY COUNCIL.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20106, 9 December 1930, Page 15

CITY COUNCIL.

LAST NIGHT'S MEETING. Tho Christchurch City Council met last evening, when there were present: The Mayor (Mr J. K. Archer), Crs. T. H. Butterfield, Annie Fraer, M. E. Lyons, A. E. Armstrong, E. Parlane, C. E. Jones, A. A. McLachlan, A. W. Beaven, W. Williamson, L. B. Neale, J. W. Beanland, E. I[. Andrews, and E. li. McCombs. The financial .si aiement gave the following particulars:—General rate levied £138,892 Ds lid, collected £10,785 IDs fid; outstanding £1:18,100 10s (id. Receipts wince the previous statement amounted to £SB, 1(92 18s f>d and accounts authorised for payment to £70,853 3 lis (id. Abattoir, Markets, and Reserves. The report of the Abattoir, Markets, and Reserves Committee stated that, practically the whole of the planting out of summer and autumn plants ha<l now been completed. Approximately 25,000 annuals and bedding plants had been raised at the nursery and sent out to the various parks and garden plots in and about the City. The Superintendent of Reserves had reported that the chapel in Bromley Cemetery and the main gates in Sydenham Cemetery required repairing and painting. The committee had arranged for this work to be carried out by unemployed labour. Mr <t. D. Gowie, from whom the Council purchased a property in Bromley for cemetery purposes, had offered to lease tho property for a term of one year at a rental of £1 per week, payable quarterly in advance. As the property would not be required for cemetery purposes for some time, it waa recommended that the offer be accepted. It was recommended that the tender of P. and D. Duncan, of £36 Gs Sd, for the supply of gambrels, pluck hooks, and skids for the Municipal Abattoir be accepted. The report was adopted. By-laws and Finance. The By-laws, Finance, and Departmental Committee reported that the City Treasurer had drawn attention to the fact that in the Workers' Dwellings Loans Accounts there were balances totalling £l(i2 5s which had not been allocated. He suggested that if this sum was not required for advances it be paid over to the City Sinking Fund Commissioners towards the sinking funds on the loans. The committee had instructed him to take this action. An electric calculator was used this year in t ho rate department in the preparation of the rate books, for checking the whole of the 23,000 assessments, and also the rates after being transcribed. This work was carried out in about a month. Besides ensuring correctness in working out tlVe rates, the cost of checking for the year was reduced by approximately £6O owing to time saved by the use of the calculator. The cost of one of these machines was £ll4 15s, and the committee had instructed that this sum be placed on the estimates next year to provide for the purchases of ono of them. The report was adopted. Electricity Committee. The Electricity Committee recommended that the tender of the Vacuum Oil Company, of £66 10s, for 840 gallons of transformer oil be accepted. The committee reported that when the converter station building was remodelled about two years ago and tho new switchgear installed, the construction of a new entrance and other minor matters within the building were held over pending the definite location of the new supervisory control gear. Its position had now been determined, and the work could be proceeded with. The present access from outside to the control gallery was by an old wooden staircase on the outside of the building, fully exposed to the weather. There were no conveniences or washing facilities within the station, and it was undesirable, with a plant of this kind, that tho staff while on duty should have to leave the building. It was therefore proposed to move the office of the engineer-in-cliarge from the ground floor to the new control gallery, and provide the necessary conveniences on the gallery, in addition to the new means of access. As in the ease of the main alterations, the work would require to be carried out in a station containing running machinery, and the plant must be kept in operation. The estimated cost of the alterations was approximately £360, but contract work under the conditions obtaining would be impracticable. The committee therefore recommended that the work be authorised, and entrusted to a reliable contractor on a cost plus 10 per cent, basis. The report was adoptod. Town Planning, Housing, and Health. The Town Planning, Housing, and Heal tli Committee reported that tho following subdivisions of land had been approved:—(a) S. T. Granger, D.P. 1669, Ayliner street and Ashgrove terrace (subject to provision being made for the widening of Ashgrove terrace to a width of ono chain); (b) H. Stiles, D.P. 5548, Pt. R.S. 252, Trafalgar street (subject to provision being made for street widening); (c) S. Gillett, D.P. 1527, Cranford street. It was recommended that permission be given to Mr R. Taylor to build a dwelling house on his property in Cobham street, Spreydon, subject to certain restrictions. Permission was given to Messrs P. Feron and Co. to erect a wooden shelter porch on to tho front of their offices in lloorhouse avenue. The report was adopted. Water Supply and Works. The Water Supply and Works Committee reported that at a recent meeting of the Council the tender of Messrs Reese Bros, was accepted for the supply of Moody Creek face coal and nuts. Messrs Reese Bros, had now written stating that under tho new railway tariff which came into force on November 17th they were called upon to pay an additional Is 8d per ton on Moody Creek coal from Dunollie to their siding at Addington. As their price was cut very fine in the first place, they asked that the Council allow the increased railage cost on their coal contract. In the circumstances the committee had agreed to the proposal. The Christchurch Drainage Board had intimated that it was prepared to construct new culverts over the outfall drain at Tilford street and Dyer's road for the full width of each road, provided the Council would contribute a sum not exceeding £136 towards the cost. Numerous requests had been received from residents in the vicinity of these two roads for the covering of the culverts, and in view of the fact that Dyer's road would shortly be called upon to carjy a great deal of traffic as a result of the reconstruction of Ferry road, the committee recommended that the Council agree to contribute the sum required. The necessary formation work from the railway to Papanui road was completed, and the bitumen work would be finished early next week. A request from the Papanui Progress League that the Council construct the full width of the roadway from Papanui road to a point about two chains over the railway line, instead of 20 feet as waa

at present proposed, had been referred to the City Engineer for an estimate of the cost. The Tramway Board had commenced re-laying its rails on Ferry road, and it was anticipated that the Council work would be commenced early in the New Year. Reconstruction of a section of Westminster street between Rutland street and Thames street would be commenced on the completion of Harewood road. With a view to minimising the annoyance caused by refuse being blown out of refuse tins deposited on the street, the committee had had under consideration a proposal that tins should be left inside the fence line in residential areas. This matter had been investigated by the City Engineer, who had reported that to give effect to the proposal an additional three to five extra men would he required on the collection of refuse, and would entail an expenditure for which no provision had been made on the current year's estimates. The committee had therefore decided not to take any steps in the direction mentioned during the present financial year, but recommended that when next year's estimates were being prepared provision be made for the extra expenditure which would be entailed. At the last meeting of the committee a suggestion was made that the committee should investigate the desirability of laying down in permanent surface a portion of North road lying between Papanui township and the boundary of the Waimairi County. Mr T. Pheloung was at present engaged in laying the concrete carriageway 18 feet wide in the Waimairi district, and as the result of enquiries made by the committee, had intimated that he was prepared to extend this carriage-way to the Papanui tovvnship for the sum of £93 per chain. The distance to be covered was between 16 and 17 chains, and the total cost of the work would thereforo be approximately £ISOO. Mr Pheloung had also intimated that he would not require payment of this amount until next financial year, and in view of the desirability of continuing the concrete to connect up with the bitumen on Papanui road, the committee recommended that this offer be accepted. The report was adopted.